Runtime environments
You may have discovered that the Runtime Space is not only mind-bogglingly big and bewildering, but also that most of the things that happen in it are staggeringly intertwined with the user experience.
While all questions of the runtime features, the pros and cons, the cost, the required developer skills and the market share are to be resolved, one big question stands out: 'website or client application?' That is, should you use a website or a client application to deliver your services to the end user?
A growing number of entrants to the mobile space see the option of building a mobile-specific website as a cheaper and more flexible alternative to developing a client application. However, as always, there is a trade-off between quality, functionality and cost, and there are advantages and disadvantages, depending on the details of your service.
This balance is considered in the downloadable Runtimes pack, Runtime environments - The Big Question. The pack also contains an overview, key features summary and pros & cons of some of the main runtimes for Symbian OS - Flash Lite, Java ME, web browsers, Web Runtime Widgets, P.I.P.S./Open C and Symbian C++. Links to examples and reference material for these runtimes, along with a brief market share indicator, are also in the pack.
To further help you to select the most appropriate runtime for your application, there's a tabular comparison of the features available in each runtime in the Runtime environments feature table.
To read or contribute additional information on runtime environments, visit the Wiki Extra.